TR Registerhttp://www.tr-register.co.uk/
For All TR Enthusiasts Past, Present & FutureAll members invited to the funeral of Merv Parkes 1950 - 2017.The TR Register are hugely saddened by the untimely loss of one of our most dedicated club members, Merve Parkes.

All members are invited to attend the funeral, in their TRs, to give our mate the send off he deserves. Merv's funeral will take place on Friday 8th December at 2:10 pm at Stourbridge Crematorium, DY8 3RQ. Family flowers only, please. Donations may be made to the Severn Valley Railway.Afterwards a wake will be held at Birmingham Group's normal meeting place, the Somers Club, Halesowen, B62 0JH. For catering purposes, please advise Paul Tunnadine, by text or email, if you plan to attend. Paul.Tunnadine@sky.com or call 07901 715752.

Merve had served the TR Register Car Club with huge dedication for many, many years. He joined the club in 1979 and drove his TR6 regularly around Wales on his days off from his job in Accountancy. A member of Birmingham group and its Treasurer for a time, he eventually went on to take the role New Spares Fund Treasurer and hence became a national committee member. Merv then became TR Register Financial Director and for many years worked tirelessly to ensure the entire club was on a firm financial footing. That the TR Register is the resource rich club we all enjoy is in no small part, thanks to Merv. Many will recall fondly his dry Black Country humour which he always brought to the annual accounts at with his AGM pie charts.

Merv Parkes was involved with the clubs insurance company and a Trustee for TS2. He was part of the very fabric of the events at the TR International weekends, where he for many years busied himself with chasing members to bring their TRs into the arena. He organised the annual car park concours for Birmingham Group. Also for many years helped set up, source cars for and dismantle the stands for the many classic car chows at the NEC and Stoneleigh Park, and the sight of Merv arriving with the hire van heralded the beginning of many a fondly remembered show weekend. On the Saturday at the NEC Classic Motor Show Merv would always ensure the volunteeres who had worked so hard to pull the show togther were rewarded with being well fed and watered.

Merv was fan of Cricket and Le Tour which he used to call chess on wheels and a member of the Severn Valley Railway . His support included being on first name terms with the bar staff at pub at Bridgnorth station. As he used to say "we're not here to enjoy ourselves " - meaning it was time to crack on and drink more beer. Being a CAMRA member meant that he was present at many beer festivals. In the last year he was part of the drinking team visiting St Ives , Liverpool and London.

Merv Parkes stepped down from the position of Financial Director at the 2016 AGM and was thus awarded the position of Honorary Vice President last year. He was proud of his membership card which expires in 2050.

Merve Parkes' untimely passing was the result of a fall on the stairs of his house. He was found by Police on October 31st after a concerned relative raised concerns.

Missing you Merve, the club will never quite be the same again, and by the way, it's your round!

Duckhams, the much loved oil brand, known around the world for its distinctive green hue has been inextricably linked to British motoring heritage since 1899. Duckhams invented Europe's first ever Multigrade oil, Duckhams Q in 1951, an advancement that changed the face of automotive lubricants forever. Now, in 2017 the company will make its long awaited return.

Duckhams will re – launch with an initial focus on oils for classic vehicles, with the intention of expanding the range into motorsport and modern vehicles in the near future. Duckhams, which remains one of Britain finest exports reaching over sixty countries worldwide, was specified by almost all UK vehicle manufacturers responsible for producing cars from the golden era of motoring including Standard Triumph and BL.

Motoring fans cannot fail to be impressed by the achievements that Duckhams has to its name. Through the further development of Q20w-50 with Morris, they made the ground breaking compact design of the Mini possible, through providing Morris with oil that could cope with lubricating both the engine and gearbox. MG broke land speed records in Utah in the early 1950s, Jacky Ickx won the race of champions at Brands Hatch in 1973 and James Hunt took his first F1 victory for Hesketh, – all with Duckhams Q in their sumps!

In 1977 Duckhams also sponsored the TR Register Jubilee End - to - End Run and long standing member Tony Jeanes appeared in the company's trade magazine "Quest" at the time with his TR3. Later in 1991 they also sponsored G. Bruce and Derek Tucker's TR3A entry into the Pirelli Classic Marathon.

Whilst the oil remains true to it's history by retaining the famous and distinctive green hue, Alexander Duckham and Co. Ltd, has sourced the very best raw materials for a perfect combination of heritage and innovation to create motor oils that deliver unrivalled protection and superb performance for classic and vintage engines.

Martin Gough, Director for Classic, Motorsport and Industrial explains, "As car fans, we are fiercely proud of our contribution to British motoring heritage. We are especially looking forward to supporting the clubs and enthusiasts that make up our vibrant classic car community. Duckhams has succeeded since 1899, precisely because of a fantastic combination of experience, knowledge and innovation, which we will continue."

Martin Gough adds, "We have painstakingly recreated the green colour to Duckhams Q20w-50 Multigrade that everyone knows and trusts, but have ensured that the formulation has moved with the times to offer the latest technology to protect cherished engines, both out on the road and in winter hibernation."

At the NEC Classic Motorshow, held in Birmingham, 10th - 12th November 2017, Duckhams will re - launch with two mono-grades, SAE30 and SAE40 and their well-respected ground breaking multi-grade, Duckhams Classic Q20w-50.

Classic car fans lucky enough to get through the doors early at the NEC Classic Motorshow, will be given the opportunity to purchase collectors limited edition cans.

Duckhams have never shied away from pushing their lubricants to the max. The list of names that have been associated with the brand over the years reads like a who's who of motorsport; John Surtees went to Formula 1 with their backing, Ari Vatanen won the World Rally Drivers Championship with a Duckhams Ford Escort and through a long association with Formula Ford team Van Diemen, Duckhams launched the careers of Nigel Mansell, David Coulthard and the legendary Ayrton Senna.

At the November NEC Classic Motorshow, Duckhams will celebrate their motorsport heritage once again, by displaying the Ford RS500 British Touring Car, driven to victory by none other than Tim Harvey. The 560-brake horsepower saloon car is thought to be the only one left in the world in original BTCC specification.

Alongside the RS500 will be a chance to meet another BTCC ace, Welshman Karl Jones. Karl Jones started racing in 1981 and stepped up to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in 1988, competing for two seasons in his Duckhams backed Group A Ford Sierra RS500. Karl will be on hand to share his memories of racing for Duckhams and explain the pivotal role that Duckhams played in his career.

Members of the TR Register are invited to the Duckhams media reception at the NEC Classic Motorshow at 3pm, in Hall 1 on Stand 128 on Friday 10th November. The press launch will consist of an overview of Duckhams history, a chance to interview Martin Gough, UK Manager and an interview Q&A with Duckhams BTCC veteran Karl Jones.

1. Duckhams Q was made green to combat the irrational assumption of 1950s consumers that highly refined, pure oils, clear in appearance, lacked body and strength.

It has been a turbulent time for us TR enthusiasts in what seems to be one government announcement after another of late and it seems the crackdown on the classic car owner has well and truly begun.

The first was an announcement that as of 2040, the production of vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine is to be outlawed. Although, on further investigation it would appear that Hybrid vehicles would be OK. Concerns around the impact on fuel supply and the clear indication of the feelings towards petrol and diesel from the powers that be were the first set of talking points to get to grips with.

DVLA will no longer issue vehicle history

Shortly after the fossil fuel outlawing, the DVLA announced that TR owners can no longer obtain a copy of a TR's history from them. DVLA have redefined 'Reasonable Cause' for accessing vehicle records, and have stated that a request from the current registered keeper of a vehicle for details of previous registered keepers of that vehicle for the purpose of researching its history was NOT considered to be 'reasonable cause'.

MOT exemptions

The next development came mid-September when, in one fell swoop by the Department of Transport, classic cars over 40 years old have been exempted from the annual roadworthiness test effective from 20th May 2018. The exemption will be applied on a rolling annual basis but, and here is the rub, will only apply to vehicles deemed not to be "substantially changed" from standard specification – more on that point in a moment.

This move was taken despite the consultation survey showing that 55% of respondents were against the proposed plans for the MOT to be scrapped for historic vehicles. This will result in the current figure of 197,000 exempt vehicles on the road increasing to 293,000 almost overnight.

The justification from the DofT appears to be based around research that suggests that there are lower MOT failure rates for vehicles over 40 years old and that fewer of them are involved in fatal road collisions.

The majority of car clubs have issued the same advice to their members as we have here at the TR Register and that is to continue getting your MOT regardless of changes in the law. Our advice is to support the TR specialists and continue with your now voluntary annual inspection. Getting your car on a proper lift with an independent, professional pair of eyes to give it the once over is the right thing to do. The worst thing that could happen would be for one of our TRs to cause an accident or death and create a public backlash against TRs and you can be assured that such an accident would be widely covered in the media.

Whilst you cannot of course generalise all classic car owners, most of us would acknowledge that on more than one occasion we have undertaken work on our car with more urgency than normal to ensure it enjoys a clean sweep at the MOT. Will that still be the case now the requirement for inspection is taken away? For example, how many property landlords would service their boilers every year if the law didn't require it? Sadly, the DofT figures bear out that assumption with only 6% of pre-1960 cars being presented voluntarily for MOT since their exemption came into force. If we are honest with ourselves, we have all been surprised at an MOT at least once when the inspector has found a potential safety critical problem that we were unaware of.

Not perhaps so pertinent to TRs, but more the wider classic car scene, is the view that the new legislation, rather than keep classics on the road, may prove to cause the opposite. Without an annual inspection to point out corrosion issues for example, rust might be ignored until it is too late. We all recognise that it is cheaper to keep classics going with regular repairs rather than face pulling them apart for a full restoration further down the line. The effects on the secondhand market will also be profound as without an MOT requirement it will prove harder for buyers to weed out potentially dangerous cars offered by the unscrupulous seller.

The definition of "Substantial Change"

As the old adage goes, "with one hand they give and the other they taketh away…" and it seems that saying is never truer than the next part in the saga of DVLA changes. Westminster is now locked into talks around inconsistencies between DVLA changes to classic cars and the way they are registered.

Your TR will no doubt have its original age related registration number which it has worn all of its life. However, over the years, you may have had to make certain changes to various components as part of the expected maintenance régime. According the DVLA's consultation results document, that may not now be enough to satisfy them that your TR is indeed a historic vehicle. Furthermore, if they prove it, your TR could end up wearing a Q-plate and not qualifying for historic vehicle status or MOT exemption.

In future years or decades, who knows what that will mean for these unfortunate vehicles? It may be that they will fall foul of legislation brought in to remove fossil fueled vehicles from the roads which hopefully, the lobbying groups will campaign to ensure 'Historic' category vehicles are exempt from. This is pure speculation on my part of course, but not entirely implausible I'm sure you will agree.

These changes are all to do with enforcing what the DVLA is going to call "substantial change" when deciding whether a classic is indeed a historic vehicle and whether it should be allowed exemption from MOT and also potentially retain its age related registration plate. Vehicles that have had substantial changes initially appeared to be judged on the DVLA's existing point system where 8 points or more prevents the need for a rebuilt or modified vehicle to be re-registered:

Chassis, monocoque body shell original or new and unmodified – 5 points

Suspension (front and back) original – 2 points

Axles (both) original – 2 points

Transmission original – 2 points

Steering assembly original – 2 points

Engine original – 1 point

However, in recent days the TR Register's Technical Editor received the following correspondence for the Department for Transport;

"In our consultation last year we did propose to use the DVLA's 8 point rule, which is used to determine whether a modified vehicle should be re-registered. Having given this further consideration, our current draft of guidance is now proposing instead that modified vehicles with an increased power/weight ratio of 15% or more should now be considered substantially changed".

What is not addressed in that statement however are the references in the draft guidance to any changes away from factory specification for even a non-restored car, which refer to such minor changes as telescopic rear dampers on TR4s or disc brakes on TR2s for example.

Originally it was understood by the FBHVC that the declaration of modification would not be compulsory, but further statements from the Department of Transport have since suggested that it will be: "where the vehicle keeper is re-licensing their vehicle on-line it is intended that an additional question be asked whether the vehicle has a current MOT and the vehicle keeper will be required to declare that their vehicle has not been substantially changed since 1988. Appropriate safeguards will be in place that will prevent a vehicle keeper from declaring the vehicle is over 40 years of age and progressing to the next stage of the licensing process, before first declaring whether or not their vehicle has been substantially changed."

The enforcement, as we are reliably informed, would begin with letters being sent out to thousands of classic car owners asking them to prove that they have not substantially modified their vehicle since 1988. The FBHVC have responded saying, "this would seem to be an inappropriate use of public money, especially when you consider how unclear it is to rectify this matter based on their confusing guide lines."

Clearly this is set to open a monumental can of worms, especially for Triumph TRs, a marque that is so easily modified, tuned and improved with relatively little outlay and effort, a fact that means the majority of our cars have enjoyed tweaks in performance over the years. Weber carburetor conversions, performance cams, gas flowed cylinder heads and even modern oils might all notch a TR up into the 'Q-plate danger zone'.

In a statement, the FBHVC said, "We are unsure as to what type of vehicle this exclusion is aimed at trapping. However, what is clear is that the adoption of the rather modest 15% uplift threshold would capture a great many vehicles which even in period would have been offered with standard power unit options exceeding by some margin, these tight limits".

They later went on to elaborate on this statement in their consultation response document where they stated; "There are very many vehicles, currently and often long regarded in Great Britain without question as being historic, which have undergone substantial changes to the technical characteristics of their main components, often very early in their long lives. The result of this freedom has meant that limited records exist of the extent or date of modifications of motor vehicles, whether on an individual or statistical basis. What is absolutely clear is that introduction of a technically based standard for acceptance as a VHI (Vehicle of Historic Interest) would limit existing freedoms, and create a division within the cadre of historic vehicles in Great Britain which has not previously existed. Contrary to the assertion of the Consultation, at least some measure of new regulation would be being introduced, which would substantially affect our members".

There clearly are more questions created by this guidance than answered. Firstly, 15% more of which figure? Factory handbooks, period advertising, manufacturer specifications, workshop manuals and Autocar road tests all have slightly differing figures. Is it SAE or DIN output – because that must be consistent throughout the measurements? Who is going to measure the power output of every classic and how we do know the equipment is calibrated correctly? After all, even the weather on a particular day can affect the readings from a rolling road.

This raft of questions and many more from car clubs across the classic car spectrum are currently being compiled by the FBHVC who are currently locked in crucial talks on our behalf with both the DVLA and Department for Transport. Recently, I met with David Whale, Chairman of the FBHVC, (where I was able to pass on the concerns of TR Action readers) and he told me that, "It is still open to discussion, there are still issues to be addressed and we will be strongly putting forward the views of the entire classic car movement in our meetings in Westminster over the coming weeks."

The TR Register, as a member organisation of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) we will be ensuring that we, the TR Register remain at the forefront of the consultation process and that our members' views and concerns will be included in that. Via the TR Register press office, the club has also voiced our concerns and views in writing throughout the classic car media but it is important not be too alarmist regarding these proposed changes. David Whale, FBHVC Chairman informed me during our conversation that representatives were next due to meet with the DofT in mid-October and the results of that and other consultations will be released for us to cover in detail here in TR Action Magazine and online at www.tr-register.co.uk as soon as possible.

Kop Hill in Princes Risborough played host to an impressive array of cars and bikes over the weekend of the 16th/17th September, all brought together to commemorate the early 1900's hill climb venue whilst raising vital funds for local charitable causes.

The star of the show was undoubtedly Genevieve, the star of the 1950's film, and a regular participant in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, kindly brought to Kop Hill Climb by Quirina Louwman.

From the sublime to the ridiculous Genevieve was followed on her run up the historic hill by none other than Edd China, formerly of Wheeler Dealers, and his Casual Lofa sofa.

The crowds couldn't believe their eyes when the road legal sofa for three, complete with pizza dish steering wheel and flower pot indicators took a run.

The TR Register Car Club's presence was taken care of by local area, Chiltern Group. The group have been a major attraction at the show for a number of years and their attendance at this event grows year on year. This growth has been helped in no small part by the gorup BBQ, fronted by Dave Broomhead. For a donation to charity all club members are fed and watered for the day with an impressive cooked breakfast, cooked lunch and afternoon cake. Put it this way, join these guys and you won't need dinner!

Vehicles of special interest on the Chiltern TR Register group stand included the ex-works TR4 rally car, 4VC or Ian Cornish. An ex-works TR3A previously owned by Ken Richardson and of course, TS2 the first right hand drive TR2 built which was brought to the event by the club's press officer Wayne Scott.

Historian and TR Register Honorary President, Graham Robson was on hand at the foot of Kop Hill throughout the weekend providing the commentary each day in his inimitable style.

A very special couple of visitors to the stand arrived on Saturday, when TR Register founders Terry and Val Simpson stopped by for a chat and to pose for a photograph alongside TS2.

Organiser John Biggs said "It was an amazing sight to see so many people having a great time with friends and families. We are indebted to the hundreds of volunteers that help to put on the Kop Hill Climb weekend. Each of them contribute immensely to the smooth running of the event, and the enjoyable garden party atmosphere. "

The event brings together over 400 cars and bikes each day in a non-competitive recreation of the original 1910 – 1925 races, with many more on display in the Paddock.

Check the website www.kophillclimb.org.uk for more details of the event, and keep an eye out for provisional dates for next year's event.

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Sun, 01 Oct 2017 20:00:30 +0100John Saunders passes awayThe TR Register is sad to hear of the passing of John Saunders on September 10th 2017 aged 69 years. John died peacefully after a long illness at Mavern House, Shaw but was formerly of Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire.

A former archivist within the club, John had a huge knowledge of the TR range and particularly the early sidescreen cars TR2 - 3A.

This knowledge and passion lead him to be appointed coordinator of the restoration of TS2, the first right hand drive TR that was rebuilt by the TR Register and put back on the road in 2001. John was also instrumental in the reuniting of TS2 with TS1 when the car was brought over from the states in 2003.

John is pictured here far right with Joe Richards (left) with TS1LO; and David Somerville (middle).

Loving husband to the late Liz (Elizabeth), dear father of Karen and Robert (Rob), father in law of Adrian (Ade) and Laurie, grandfather of Grace, Oliver, and Owen, brother of Peter, brother in law to Sue, Charles,and Adele, uncle to Frances, Thea and Anneka.

A Celebration for the life of John will take place at St. Peter's Church, Newnham on Severn on Thursday 21st September at 12.30 pm and it is hoped a large cavalcade of Triumph TRs will be on hand as a tribute.

Family flowers only, donations if desired for Stroke Association and Alzheimer's Society and should be sent to M. S. Watkins & Son Funeral Directors, Wintles Hill, Westbury on Severn, Glos GL14 1QG.

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Tue, 12 Sep 2017 18:34:49 +0100The 2017 Goodwood Revival - racing and rain! The Goodwood Revival is a simply incredible event that seems to get busier, more impressive and increasingly more competitive on track every year. Held at Lord March's historic racing circuit in the rolling Sussex countryside, the Goodwood Revival is a chance to adorn your best frock or tweeds and step through time to an era when racing drivers were death-defying heroes and sugar was still on rations.

The attention to detail is phenomenal, nothing post -1966 is allowed through the gates and even the media room housing the many motoring journalists and fashion correspondents is decorated out to resemble a world war two control room, sitting as it does, adjacent to the airfield and aircraft display.

Notable additions this year included a fabulous 1950s period recreating of a Shell petrol station, a celebration parade for Ecurie Ecosse, an Italian Piazza recreating to celebrate La Dolce Vita and the anniversary of the Fiat 500 plus a drive in cinema within the 'Over the Road' section. Speaking of which, Goodwood Revival must be the only event where you would willingly pay to simply wander around the Car Park. This year there were two areas for special parking, the pre-1968 area and the Tax-Free display area for slightly newer classics. Over the Road also included the Bonhams auction room, which had amongst many other examples of car exotica, the entire collection of Jack Sears up for sale.

There were numerous TRs to be found in the 'Over the Road' car parks and just a few we spotted can be seen in the gallery below:

The weather wasn't exactly supportive for the 2017 event and by Friday afternoon the car parks resembled muddy swamps requiring Goodwood management to lay on tractors to tow hapless classics out of the quagmire. The rain barely relented all weekend but did nothing to dampen the spirits of those in attendance, despite having to pick their way in costumes and heels through the sloppy fields!

A highlight of the event this year was the launch of the new TVR on Friday morning. The car sees the return of the Griffith name and with its manual gearbox and radical Gordon Murray styling certainly represents a continuation of all we know and love of TVR. The engine though, should prove to be an impressive power plant - designed and built by none other than Cosworth. the car certainly drew the crowds throughout the weekend and was accompanied by a heritage display of TVR through the ages.

The challenging conditions made for some breathtakingly riveting racing with epic battles aplenty in all classes and races.

One of the headlining races during the weekend is the one-hour, two-driver Royal Automobile Club TT for GT cars of the 1960s. The focus has shifted to slightly younger cars in recent years leaving cars like the Aston Martin DB4 GT and Ferrari 250 GT SWB languishing in the lower positions.

This has however been solved by the Kinrara Trophy, which captures classic endurance racing atmosphere by running into Dusk on Friday evening. This year's race attracted eight 250 GT SWBs and five DB4 GTs. In the wet, the Jaguar E-Types proved to be dominant and the winners in their example were Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw.

Saloon cars were not left out with Dickie Meaden and Mike Jordan in an flame spitting Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Austin A40 battled tooth and nail swapping positions on virtually every lap, with neck and neck racing that close it is a miracle that they got through it all without touching! The Will Hoy Memorial Trophy, for the greatest drive in a closed cockpit car, went to Richard Meaden,t he eventual winner of that race. He lost the St Mary's Trophy lead in his Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti on the very last lap, only to regain it in time for the chequered flag. On aggregate, Jason Plato and Nick Naismith won the St Mary's Trophy in an A95 Westminster.

Chris Ward kept out of trouble with the JD Classics Ford GT40 in the Whitsun Trophy, which was run despite a deluge of rain, to take his only victory of the weekend. Rob Hall, meanwhile, used the same Aston Martin DB3 that had won the first of the Goodwood Nine-Hour races in period to end victorious in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy.

The TT race on Sunday was preceded with drama when the Ferrari 250 GTO of Andy Newall and Frank Stippler crashed out spectacularly in practice on Saturday. In the race, David Hart stormed to the head of the field with his Cobra. Ward had dropped down the order and used some less subtle tactics to fight his way back up the order and was penalised with 30 seconds as a result. Thanks to a late retirement and the penalty, the win went to Andy Wolfe and Michael Gans, who shared Jason Wright's Cobra.

The absolutely sodden Glover and Sussex trophies demanded heroic skills to stay pointing in the correct direction. The Glover Trophy for 1960s Grand Prix cars was won by Martin Stretton in a Lotus 24. The Sussex Trophy Sam Hancock claim victory in the well-honed Ferrari 246 Dino of Harry Leventis.

The Spirit of Goodwood award went to Juan Manuel Fangio's sons, Ruben and Cattio Fangio, who had bought tickets to this year's Revival to call on the way to see the Pope… as you do! The Maserati 250F Fangio drove to his arguably most famous victory the Nürburgring in 1957 was on display all weekend.

The Rolex Drive of the Meeting went to 18-year-old Oliver Hart who, on his Goodwood debut, was fighting for the lead in the RAC Tourist Trophy when his grunty Cobra suffered engine failure that put him out of the race.

To view the full gallery of images, use the viewer below:

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Mon, 11 Sep 2017 13:40:00 +0100New volunteer appointments at the TR RegisterTwo new appointments have been made to volunteer roles within key roles at the TR Register Car Club.

New Events Director

The first is a co-option into the Board of Directors, the group of volunteers directly responsible for running the club on a national level. The new Event Director role will be filled by Terry Smith who was co-opted at the club's last board Meeting, held on August 4th 2017.

The role will fulfill the following objectives:

To collate information and suggestions from members for potential events.

To initiate and take the lead on events organised and attended by the club.

Provide guidance and support to office staff on building a diverse diary of events for the benefit of club members throughout the year.

Work with press officer to help maximise promotion for the club events.

Terry joins the Board with a vast amount of experience having been a member of the TR Register since 1973. He was instrumental in the very first events that were to become known as the TR International Weekend in 1978/79 at Donington Park before the event moved to Prescott in 1980 and ultimately Malvern. Terry explains,

"In those days I was called a Meetings Co-ordinator, but my next position was looking after the TR Register sales as I became Exhibition Manager, alongside this after the Prescot meeting I realised the need for a local group and called a meeting which founded Cotswold Vale Group. Lastly for my sins I started "The Old Farts", so I think I have the pedigree to fulfil this role."

Terry's first project will be hosting a Technical Seminar on Oils, ZDDP and Lab Testing your Engine at Millers Oils which is availble to book now.

Terry Smith (right) questions the current Chairman (left) as to how he managed to talk him into this in the first place?

New Italia Registrar

Elsewhere, Graham Andrews steps officially into the role of Italia Registrar having taken over the reigns from Paul Harvey due to ill health. Graham has already got his teeth stuck into the centralisation and digitisation of records using the TR Register database and is picking up from the hard work and strong foundations already laid by Paul Harvey.

Graham is the owner of a stunning Triumph Italia which has won the Concours D'Elegance multiple times at the TR Register International weekend, this year scooping the Masters Class and going on to represent the TR Register at the Meguiars Champions event at the 2017 NEC Classic Motor Show.

The TR Register would like to express it's sincerest thanks to Paul Harvey for the hard work and valuable contribution made to the club as Italia Registrar and wish him a speedy recovery.

Graham Andrews, the new Italia Registrar for the TR Register receives his prize from Meguiars for winning the masterclass with his Italia at the 2017 TR International Weekend.

The British Grand Prix remains one of the highlights of the International Motorsport calendar and represents the sport's spiritual home. It is where an astonishing seven out of the current, ten F1 teams are based and has been a mainstay of Formula One since the inaugural event in 1950.

This always ensures tight and close racing. Winning the Silverstone round of the Formula One championship means everything.

This year, the pressure was once again upon Lewis Hamilton to pull out a British win to satisfy the hundreds of thousands of fans looking on in anticipation and the further millions of fans watching from TV at home via Sky, Eurosport, BT Sport or Channel 4.

Those fans were also treated to another extra special feature of this year's British Grand Prix, a drivers parade featuring exclusively Triumph TRs provided by the TR Register Car Club to chauffeur the worlds top drivers around one full lap of the circuit in order for them to be seen up close and personal by the fans in the terraces.

The TR Register member's cars in attendance covered the entire range of TR sports cars that Triumph produced between 1953 and 1982 and was available on display for the F1 fans throughout the weekend in the National Pits Paddock alongside a warm and friendly welcome from the club members all volunteering to man the display in shifts throughout the four days to share information on the cars with the general public.

Qualifying on Saturday was a predictably cold and drizzly affair and quite shock to the system for many of the F1 drivers out on track. By the time the third qualifying session had completed though, the fans realised that it would be Brit Lewis Hamilton on pole and the atmosphere was electric.

The opportunity for TRs to open the 2017 British Grand Prix came about thanks to the initiative of club member Ian Smith, a TR2 owner from the Chiltern area group. He had a dream and ambition to see TRs at the British Grand Prix so when he managed (through a contact from a chance meeting in his local pub) to get us a foot in the door with a meeting, we worked hard to ensure he had all the help and support he needed to realise his ambition of taking TRs to the British Grand Prix. Several pages of proposals, spreadsheets and hundreds of emails later and with only a few days left to go, the dream became reality, the proposals were confirmed and the TR Register headed to Silverstone to open the British Grand Prix.

Twenty eight TRs from the earliest TR2 to the latest Grinnall bodied TR7V8 carried the F1 drivers around the circuit on race day following behind TS2, the first right hand drive Triumph TR ever made and MVC575, the TR2 that broke the land speed record in 1953. To the rear was the works rally TR7V8 campaigned so successfully by Simo Lampinen in the late 1970s to complete the line up that also included two tributes to the 1959 Le Mans TR3S race cars amongst members cars from across the country.

Raceday began early when, at 8am the marshals attended the TR display in the paddock which was shared with the Williams Heritage team to stick decals onto the TRs that had been awarded F1 drivers. It was only at this point and when the team shirts were given out that team members had any idea of who they were to chauffeur around the circuit. As the marshals applied stickers to the cars, the MSA arrived for a safety briefing before TR Register Chairman Paul Hogan cut a celebratory cake made by Ian Smith's wife, Julie.

The TRs were then arranged behind TS2 and the Jabbeke land speed car into grid positions to match the qualifying results from the previous afternoon before they were driven out and parked "Le Mans style" in herringbone fashion along the national pitlane to await the course car. When that course car came it was but a few short, adrenalin filled moments until the TRs were lined up on the main pit straight, in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.

The atmosphere was incredible, the world's media crammed and bustled around the TRs, eagerly awaiting the F1 drivers to appear and when they did the TR Register members in their respective TRs were in the firing line of a barrage of flash photography and logo emblazoned microphones. Recognisable faces from TV and the world of motorsport were busy delivering their "pieces to camera." Martin Brundle, Damon Hill, Nikki Lauda and Natalie Pinkham were all wending their way in between the TRs chatting with the various drivers and TR Register members.

Soon it was all over as the course car pulled away and the convoy set off for the lap of the track, the crowd shouting and cheering as their favourite driver came into view.

"Usually the drivers are herded onto a truck and driven around the circuit, this year was something a bit different and it seemed to be really well received by the drivers and media alike," said Wayne Scott, TR Register Press Officer.

Indeed, many of the drivers remarked on how much they enjoyed the parade; "The cars are really cool, my father used to own a TR7," remarked past champion Sebastien Vettel.

"It's important to get out and see the fans before the race, they need to know that I see them and appreciate their love and support," explained Lewis Hamilton.

For the TR Register it was a massive honour, a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only show off the wide varied Triumph TR range in front of the worlds motorsport fans but also to fly the flag for the entire classic car scene in front of a global audience. For Ian Smith, who receives a massive vote of thanks from the entire club, it was the realisation of a dream. To finish off the race with a Lewis Hamilton victory was just the icing on the cake.

Bathed in sunshine the Malvern Showground is nestled in the Malvern Hills surrounded by beautiful Worcestershire countryside set the backdrop for the largest gathering of Triumph TRs and Standard Triumphs in the UK.

For 2017 the Meguiar's sponsored Concours events and Protek Engineering 'Triumph Survivor's' Display continued with the 2016 format of changed timings for the judging and awards presentation. Again being brought forward from its traditional 4pm start to 2pm and the weather being kind allowed for the awards presentation to be held in the grassed Arena. This format is well received by entrants, members and the public alike for it allows a greater visibility of the cars and celebration of award winners. Whilst the Malvern Arena is smaller than at Lincoln, the cars were expertly formed up and then drove forward to collect their individual awards from our Honorary President, Graham Robson and Chairman, Paul Hogan; the Chairman presented the Masters Class Cup, sponsored by Rimmer Brothers. The change of format is here to stay, particularly the presentation of awards in the outside Arena (subject the good weather of course!) as it harks back to the early days of the TR Register and will be carried forward to Lincoln in 2018.

This is my second year as the Concours Organiser and it was pleasing to see all the planning, preparation and learning from Lincoln in 2016 come together. That said, more lessons were learned this year and will be incorporated into future events.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers who once again stepped forward to give up their valuable time to judge the Concours, Pride of Ownership and Triumph Survivors. We now have a pool of 24 new and experienced volunteer judges, 15 of whom were kept busy judging this year's events.

A special mention of thanks goes to Roger Hinds who gave valuable assistance over the whole weekend. Without Roger's help the execution of all the pre-planning and preparation would have been that much more difficult and time consuming, not least the resultant pressure!

Last but not least, a big thank you to all the entrants without whom the Concours, Pride of Ownership and Triumph Survivors events wouldn't happen. I look forward to seeing you and your cars next year, and more besides.

See you at Lincoln!

Andrew Smith

Concours & Triumph Survivors Organiser

Images:

To view the images from the awards presentations and displays throguhout the weekend click these links:

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Tue, 11 Jul 2017 01:50:00 +0100Triumph TR Values ExaminedWe're always being told that classics from the '50s, '60s & '70s are getting more and more valuable by the year, but is it the case with Triumph TRs?

No, sure, no one likes seeing classics bought purely for investment purposes. But everyone cares about the value of their possessions and if you can 'earn' money on something you're enjoying in the meantime, why not?

Of course, we're all told that any classic is bound to increase in value once its past that difficult 'banger' period in its life. Roadsters like the TR, car-show conventional wisdom tells us, are exactly the kind of classics that are leading the trend too. Mass appeal, sporty handling and ease of maintenance are what sent classic Ford values crazy, right?

TR2

TRs don't necessarily follow the rule many models do, where the oldest cars are always the most valuable, but TR2 owners will be pleased to see substantial growth in the value of their cars over the past 15 years.

Not since 2009 has a TR2 been picked up at auction for less than £10k, while Historics at Brooklands sold a 'long door' TR2 for more than £40,000 this March.

The data shows clear growth far above the rate of inflation, and with records still being broken, the trend doesn't seem close to ending just yet.

TR3

Reflecting its similarity to the TR2 it replaced, TR3 values are now little different to their older siblings. While the £40k barrier does not appear to have been broken at auction just yet, top condition 'TR3As' are reliably fetching figures well over £30k.

So too, it seems difficult to find even 'barn finds' for less than £10k, at least at auction. Still, the majority of cars have traded for around £20k in the past couple of years, which is twice the going price at the turn of the millennium.

As with the TR2, long-term TR3 owners will have struggled not to gain wealth via their car's appreciation, although one could argue the data shows a plateau in the last two or three years.

TR4

With its much more modern appearance, it's not a surprise to see TR4 values have behaved somewhat differently to the TR2 & TR3 in recent years.

Growth is still clear to see in the past 15 years, and sub-£10k cars are only to be found in 'restoration required' condition at auction. However, the TR4 has not reached the dizzying heights of some TR3s just yet, with cars fetching over £30k in the UK still a rare occasion.

Values, at least for the best condition cars, seem noticeably higher in the US however, which is surprising given TRs general prevalence in the US market.

The majority of TR4s are fetching similar prices to run-of-the-mill TR3s, despite the disparity at the top-end of the market, fetching low to mid £20k sums. This suggests the TR4 is not gaining the attention of collectors in quite the same way as the TR3.

Another noticeable trend, is that all the highest-priced cars came with a 'surrey top' - the accessory seemingly increasing the price of the car by more than just the sum of its value. Interestingly, there seems no significant difference between TR4 and TR4A models, with condition being by far the largest differentiator.

TR5

Data on the TR5 is relatively sparse, reflecting the model's short production run of just a year. This rarity, combined with the model occupying a perceived 'sweet spot' in TR history between classic '60s styling and the powerful 2.5 straight six, makes the TR5 the most valuable of all the TRs.

With exceptional cars selling for over £40k and one restoration project fetching £18k in 2015, this high valuation seems to extend from rough cars to concours examples. Indeed, the average price for something in good condition seems notably higher than that of the TR5's predecessors, at around £30k.

What we can't discern from the data, is the long-term movement in TR5 prices, due to the lack of entries from before 2014.

TR6

The TR6's success for Triumph is immediately obvious from the sheer amount of data on the car, but it is this same prevalence that used to keep TR6 values relatively tame compared to its predecessors.

It seems that time has passed.

While there are still plenty of TR6s selling under £10k, you'll only find restoration cases or (if you're lucky) LHD US import cars for that price nowadays.

With low mileage TR6s fetching £30k, the car is now catching up with the four-cylinder TRs, although the majority of cars sell for nearly half that price.

While the outright value of the TR6 is nothing amazing just yet then, the growth of prices truly has been. Even in just the past 10 years, long-term TR6 owners will have seen the value of their cars almost double.

TR7

The TR7 remains by far the cheapest TR you can buy, it's modern styling seemingly making it far less desirable than all of the other TRs.

But has the little wedge seen its value increase as its predecessors have done? iIt is hard to say definitively with the data available, but the indications are good.

For example, in 2007 an immaculate low mileage FHC sold for just £1,800. Just nine years later, a FHC with a condition score of just 67/135 sold for £1,710 - an almost identical sum. When restoration cases are worth as much as yesterday's concours cars, you know something is moving in the market.

The convertibles and V8s remain more valuable still, but it seems even the hard topped version of the youngest TR has seen growth, albeit far less spectacularly than earlier models.

Summary

Overall then, it's clear that Triumph TRs have indeed been apart of the classic car boom of the last 10 years, with most TRs having nearly doubled in value when comparing like-for-like examples. Values are remarkably similar across the first 3 generations of the TR, while the TR5 and TR6 hardly buck trends either.

The odd-one-out of the TR range, in yet another way, proves to be the TR7. It's astounding how a TR7 which could even be older than some TR6s (their production having briefly overlapped) could be worth a tenth of the value of the TR6 when in similar condition.

It goes to prove that the nebulous concept of desirability, not condition, age, capability or even supply to a degree, is by far the main factor in deciding a classic's value.

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Fri, 07 Jul 2017 01:10:55 +0100Barry Sidery Smith - TR3S driver at Le Mans Classic passes away. The TR Register are saddened to hear about the sudden loss of Barry Sidery-Smith, driver of the Triumph TR3S at Le Mans Classic in 2014/16. Barry never lost his enthusiasm for racing or talent and played an integral part in the TR Register Le Mans Classic teams over the past few years. Another Motor Racing Legend sadly leaves us, our thoughts with his wife and family at this time. Barry Sidery-Smith's life has been cars both as a well known MG trader with an uncanny knack of finding cars for fellow enthusiasts and as a very skilled motor racing competitor for over 50 years. Although known as "Sideways" to many, his racing style is in fact neat and quick, particularly in the wet.

On hearing the news Paul Hogan, TR Register chairman paid tribute; "We are all shocked as I was only speaking to him on Friday evening about our forthcoming race at Silverstone classic next month and he was in excellent spirits. Apparently he just passed away in his sleep. I have lost a true friend and a dear colleague who taught me more about car control than anyone else."

Barry's interest in racing began as a boy when he helped out an amateur racing driver as his pit crew at race meetings. Barry had got chatting with him as he passed by on his paper round in Long Ditton and as soon as he was old enough to drive, talked the owner into letting him enter a race with the car, a Parker JAP Special. That uncanny knack has served Barry well over the years! In 1959 Barry bought a Healey 100/4 and his first race was at Goodwood with another at Brands Hatch all over the same weekend. He went on to race Healeys and TRs for many years until his first association with MGs when he bought and raced a former works MGB – 94 HJJ – in 1970.

On returning from National Service with the East Surrey Regiment in 1955, Barry joined his father running a successful small car hire and trading business in Surbiton near Kingston in Surrey. Barry had wanted to go into the REME so he would be involved in vehicles but instead he was packed off to an infantry regiment and posted to Germany. Nevertheless he ended up running the motor transport section.

Barry enjoyed many high points over a long motor racing career – racing in the early 1970s in the popular BRSCC Prodsports series in his semi works MGB JYH 770 D with the TVRs, competing in the BCV8 Club events with the ex Colin Cork and John Carter MGB prepared by Gerry Brown and supported by Brown & Gammons and participating in the annual classic car race meetings on European circuits like Zolder, Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps with the generous support of DAF. Barry was particularly proud of a Francorchamps trophy he received in 1980 for finishing third overall against some very powerful machinery in a race which suffered torrential rain throughout. Yet again the combination of the MGB handling and Barry's skill of racing in the wet brought success and a presentation from Fangio who had come over at the invitation of the Belgian Automobile Racing Club to open the shorter 4.5 mile circuit for its first event. Barry had played a major part in taking a party of historic cars there each year since.

The Goodwood Revival has been a favourite meeting for Barry – in recent years he raced Steve Dixon's Le Mans MGA and then his Le Mans MGB in the Fordwater Trophy in a race with Stirling Moss who was driving the ex Pat Moss Sebring Sprite.

Another magical moment for Barry was taking his ex le Mans MGB to the 24 Heures du Mans in 2002 for a supporting eight lap Motor Racing Legends race before the main event starting later that Saturday afternoon. "It was a phenomenal experience thundering around that 8 mile circuit racing against a pre 1966 field of E-Types, Astons, Ferraris, Maseratis, Jaguar C and D Types and of course Cobras. It was a race, not a parade as in earlier years, where the MGB touched almost 135mph at points round the Sarthe.

Later Barry entered his le Mans MGB for the 24 hour Classic Le Mans events and in 2002 met with an uncharacteristic accident when during a night session he was pounding down to Indianapolis from Arnage with a gaggle of cars ahead. A car clipped the edge of the track where there is a slight kink on the circuit and wobbled causing an E-Type on its tail to brake heavily and end up stationary across the circuit. Barry hit it broadside on and instinctively in a half daze turned off the ignition to avoid a fuel fire. Sitting there in pain his mind thought "without lights the next gaggle that came through Arnage in the pitch dark would see nothing of the accident until they are on top of us!" So he heaved himself out of the car and ran leaping over the armco barrier into the trees – and passed out. He came round thinking he was in heaven with a buxom French lady marshal over him assessing his injuries – a broken sternum and more. The strong MGB structure had been his saviour. He was taken off in an ambulance for treatment and then taken home by Dr Rod Longton and others on a double bed in a motor home. Julius Thoroughgood organised a campaign and raised £20,000 generously donated by supporters so the car could be rebuilt by Surrey Sports Cars at Ripley with support from the BMH Body Plant at Witney. Then with new aluminium wings found in Germany it was back at the Classic Le Mans event in 2004.

In 2014 and 2016 Barry was a member of the TR Register team of Triumph TRs campaigned at Le Mans Classic. Driving the Paul Hogan owned Triumph TR3S. This event proved once again, Barry's adaptabitlity as a driver jumping as he did from his ex-works MGB straight into the TR3S and back again between races through the night! He was super quick in the Triumph TR3S and quickly bonded with the team.

The record breaking Triumph TR2, MVC575 returned to the hallowed Belgian town of Jabbeke last weekend to be reunited with the highway on which it broke the land speed record for a two litre production car at just short of 125mph.

On Saturday 20th May 2017, exactly sixty - four years ago to the very day since the successful world record achievement, the Triumph TR2 lead a procession of Triumph TR sportscars from De Haan, where the Ibis Hotel was used as a base for evening receptions, through the Belgian countryside and highways to the town of Jabbeke.

Although the exact highway is no longer there, (save for a small stretch that now makes up a service station slip road) the adjacent main roads and dual carriageways are still very much like the old highway would have been in the 1950s.

Belgium began work on their first Autoroute, the A10 through Jabbeke in 1937 but the onset of World War 2 stopped progress. Hitler's army to prepare it for carrying arms to Ostend for the planned invasion of Great Britain undertook some preparatory work but it wasn't until after the war that work really resumed fully. The stretch of Belgium's first motorway, by the Flanders town of Jabbeke was a gift to world record attempts due its tantalising 8-mile long straight that was also completely flat. Furthermore, the only junctions on the route were crossovers that could easily be closed by Police, there was very little to hit as the central reservation was a simple grass strip and there was a great diplomatic friendship between the Royal Automobile Club in the UK and the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium who could smooth the way with the local authorities for such endeavors.

Today the road has been absorbed into the pan-European E40 highway where modern traffic conditions make it virtually impossible to re-enact the record attempt safely. Today, unlike 1953, the road regularly see's tailbacks and congestion from traffic travelling to the coast from nearby Ostend, Bruges, Ghent and Brussels sixty five miles away.

Upon arrival at Jabbeke, the car was joined by over thirty TRs from the TR Register car club, representing all eras of the TR marque to recognise the vast and varied range of sports cars that the record attempt paved the way for. Thanks to the land speed record TR2 MVC575, the Triumph marque shot to a level of fame that was to ensure its success and reputation as a reliable and rugged sports car for over thirty years.

In front of large numbers of the general public and local dignitaries MVC 575 and its owner/restorer Glen Hewitt posed for photographs and interviews before heading out once again onto the roads around Jabbeke in scenes reminiscent of the press attention the car drew on 20th May 1953. The day could not have been more perfect, with wall to wall sunshine and an extremely warm welcome from the local community Glen Hewett was able to realise his ultimate ambition to return the car to the area of Belgium where it achieved such fame.

"To be back in the town where this little British sports car made motoring history was amazing. It was a wonderful event to be involved in, especially with all the other TRs that turned out to celebrate the car - fantastic! It had made the grueling 14-month restoration all worthwhile" Glen Hewitt of Protek Engineering who owns and restored the car explained at the event.

A special thanks to Luc Mahieu of the TR Register UK for organising the event and to Chiltern group of the TR Register for their unwavering support. Finally a massive thanks to Glen Hewitt for making the car available for such momentous occasion.

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Wed, 24 May 2017 19:50:48 +0100TR5 stolen from garage in BuxtonDetectives have issued photos of a 1968 Triumph TR5 (registration VYM 250G) that was taken during a burglary at a house in Buxton, Derbyshire. The red convertible was parked at a house in Lascelles Road when the property was broken into overnight between May 12 and 13.

The burglars took the keys from inside the property and drove off in the Triumph.

The TR5 of course was part of a short production run between August 1967 and September 1968, making it quite rare.

Police are hoping that will help them trace it and are asking people to be on the lookout for it.

Have you seen a car similar to the one in the photo, or have you been offered it or any TR5 parts for sale since the break-in?

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Thu, 18 May 2017 08:28:32 +0100Timo Makinen - A tributeTimo Mäkinen, one of the original 'Flying Fins' that began his career rallying a Triumph TR3, has died aged 79.

Timo Mäkinen's start in international rallying came in the 1959 1000 Lakes Rally in a Triumph TR3, co-driven by his brother Harri. He went on to rally many British marques but became a household name after the 1962 RAC Rally when he won the class whilst driving a works Mini Cooper for Stuart Turner, BMC team manager of the day. Stuart remembers how the discovery of the flying fin came about with some fondness, "The local Morris dealer from Helsinki called into my office in Abingdon," said Turner. "He told me he was supporting a young lad and it would help him get publicity if I could find him a drive on the 1962 RAC."

Mäkinen was to remain on Stuart Turner's team in a programme of international rallying that mixed Minis with Austin Healey's 3000s throughout the early 1960s. The first big win came on the Tulip Rally in 1964, followed by a Monte Carlo and Coupe des Alpes win the following season. In 1965 he returned to the RAC to claim second place in an Austin Healey 3000.

In 1967, Timo Mäkinen found himself the subject of rallying mythology and legend when drove his Mini at a high speed through the famous Ouninpohja stage of the 1000 Lakes with the bonnet up. He later explained that the leather straps holding the bonnet down on his Mini were not thoroughly tightened, and they opened after a few rough bounces. "We did about 12 of the 25 kilometres like that," said Mäkinen. "I kept trying to put my head out of the window, but the crash helmet was too big! I threw the car sideways this way and the other to try and get a view from the side windows." Despite all that, Mäkinen was third fastest and also won the rally overall, for the third year in a row!

When BMC became British Leyland in 1968, Stuart Turner moved to Ford and Mäkinen went with him and it was in the Ford RS1600 and RS1800 that Mäkinen dominated the RAC Rally from 1973 to 1975.

His talents were not just limited to international rallying either. He was successful in circuit racing when he raced Mini Coopers in the Bathurst 500 road race in Australia. He finished 6th outright and 3rd in class in 1965 co-driving with Irish rally driver Paddy Hopkirk. Then, as the decade came to a close he tried his hand in boats winning the very first Round Britain Powerboat Race in 1969 with not one but three V8 engines powering his boat!

After losing his rally seat in the late 1970s he joined co-driver Jean Todt, and the partnership lead to success in African marathons rallying the Peugeot in a V6 504 Coupe. His return to BL marques came in 1980 when he competed a handful of times in the Triumph TR7V8. His well known works TR7V8 wore the numberplate HRW 251V and was the last new car built by the Abingdon Works. Also driven by Per Eklund and John Buffum.

In recent years, Timo Mäkinen was inducted into the Rally Hall of Fame in 2010 along with Carlsson, Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen.

The first of the 'Flying Fins' Timo Mäkinen was known and loved for his fun filled outlook on the sport and his extremely adaptable driving style. A photographers friend due to his excessive use of sideways sliding and his masterful pioneering of left foot braking ensure his place in motorsport history for the rest of time.

For 2017, the TR Register International Weekend returns to the Malvern Showground nestled in the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire and the venue of choice for many club members. The facilities at Malvern are excellent and lend themselves perfectly for the most prestigious event in the club's calendar. As an extra bonus, the beautiful surrounding Worcestershire andHerefordshire countryside is steeped in history with many places of interest to visit.

Avon Hall will host the Meguiars' Concours, Pride of Ownership and the Protek Engineering Triumph Survivors Display, where the very best examples of TRs, Derivatives, Triumph Survivors and other Triumphs will compete for the coveted titles and trophies.

The Concours Hall will be a hive of activity on Friday afternoon and Saturday as entrants prepare and polish their cars for judging which will take place from 3pm Saturday afternoon, leaving some free time on Sunday morning to enjoy the atmosphere and comaradery of the International.

It is envisaged the Concours, Pride of Ownership and Triumph Survivor categories will all be under one roof. However, as a contingency, it may be necessary due to the number of entrants/categories for the Pride of Ownership entries to be displayed on the outside grassed area adjacent to Avon Hall. Whilst not ideal, too many entries would be a good problem to have!

I would very much welcome volunteers to assist with running the Concours and Pride of Ownership events - help is needed from setting up the hall to judging and a few things in-between. In addition, a volunteer who is willing to manage the Triumph Survivor category during the weekend would be most welcome.

So if you are interested and willing to help please email me on TRRConcours@gmail.com advising me what you'd like to help with, or call me on 07796 177115 (weekdays after 8pm and anytime at weekends). If I am unable to answer the phone please leave a message and I will call you back to you.

Andrew Smith

Concours & Triumph Survivor Organiser

Class Entry

You can enter in advance by clicking here and completing the Entry Form and download Class Rules and Guidance, Scoring Criteria and specimen Marking Sheets.

You can also enter before 12 pm (noon) Saturday during the event. Entries after this time will not be accepted, so please do not leave entry to the last minute as it will be very busy on Saturday afternoon. If you have entered in advance please register Avon Hall as soon as possible on the Saturday as this will take a little time.

Concours Hall Access

Avon Hall will be open on Friday 2 to 6 pm, Saturday between 9am and 6pm and Sunday 9am to 4 pm. Due to the likelihood of limited space in the hall, once Concours entries are positioned movement of cars may not be possible until the awards presentation on Sunday. Cars will be secured in Avon Hall overnight on Friday and Saturday.

Judging and Awards Ceremony

Judging will take place between 3pm and 6pm on Saturday. Judging may last up to 30 minutes and hoods, Surrey tops and sidescreens are to be erected/fitted and the spare wheel is to be removed before judging. You may be asked to stow the hood/Surrey section or remove the sidescreens during judging.

Following the success and popularity of the outside award presentations at Lincoln in 2016, the awards ceremony is to be held in the open Arena (with a wet weather plan in place) and the award timings will follow the format from last year i.e. from midday on Sunday, allowing for greater visibility by club members and the public in celebration of the award winners.

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Fri, 21 Apr 2017 23:04:10 +0100TR Register awarded "Most Outstanding Website" at the National Car Club Awards 2017The winners of the 2017 National Car Club Awards, in association with Tourism Ireland, were announced on Saturday 1st April in an emotionally charged evening held after day two of the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show.

Over 230 members of the classic motoring community attended the prize giving at Birmingham's NEC. Special guests included the Rt. Hon. Sir Greg Knight, Wheeler Dealers Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead, and Car SOS' techie guru Fuzz Townshend.

David Boyce from Tourism Ireland, headline sponsor of The National Car Club Awards, said: "Not only do these awards recognise the amazing amount of time and effort made by the clubs but the community spirit the car clubs create as a whole. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the room and a real appreciation between all those nominated and the winners. It was a very special evening that Tourism Ireland is very proud to be associated with."

Outstanding Website of the Year, sponsored by Tourism Ireland, was presented to the TR Register by David Boyce and was received by the TR Register Press Officer and Editor, Wayne Scott. The website (www.tr-register.co.uk) was praised by the judges as being "just brilliant" and all the judges stated they were impressed with the TR Register website in terms of design, innovation and functionality.

"The site has been the culmination of two years work and was based on feedback from the club's members and local group leaders." explained Wayne Scott in his acceptance speech. "As the person responsible for heading up the website and project managing the brief, design, build and subsequent content creation, it has turned into something of a labour of love over the past 18 months. I am tremendously proud of this award as it is worthy recognition of the fantastic contributions made by our local group web editors who are pivotal in keeping the site populated with content. Furthermore it feels great to see the TR Register being at the forefront of the classic car world by leading the way with technology once again."

Wayne Scott went on to thank Batebrand Communications who delivered the design and coding on the website, "The team at Batebrand were tremendously passionate about ensuring our needs and requests were brought to life throughout the build." He finished off with a thanks to the office staff at the TR Register, Jo Whitty and Sue Bell who manage the website day to day and assist less IT confident members with getting to grips with gaining access to the members area resources.

A total of 16 awards were presented, with the biggest cheers of the night going to Rosie Hamilton of the Morris Minor Owners Club who received the Lifetime Achievement award from David Boyce.

In the Classic Car Club categories, the Rover Sports Register's Freewheel magazine won Outstanding Club Magazine of the Year (printed), sponsored by Stena Line and presented by Dianne Poole.

The MK1 Golf Owners Club won the Outstanding use of Social Media, sponsored by Lancaster Insurance, and presented by Andrew Evanson, while David Whale from the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs presented The Imp Club with the award for Outstanding Support of the Next Generation. The Morris Minor Owners Club Young Register was highly commended.

Classic Car Weekly Editor David Simister presented the Jensen Owners Club with Outstanding Car Club Event (Run or Rally), with a highly commended given to the Morris Minor Owners Club.

The Jensen Owners Club also won the 'Best of the Best' National Car Club Winners award, sponsored by Lancaster Insurance, for the most outstanding entry of all entries.

The MG Car Club was presented with the National Car Club of the Year award, by Dave Youngs from sponsors Lancaster Insurance. The Club was praised for its ability to make sure all aspects of its role are performed seamlessly as well as the new archive building that was added to Kimber House.

It was then on to the Devoted Members categories where Footman James' Managing Director David Bond presented the Unsung Hero award to Brian Humphreys from the Rover P6 Club. Pauline Blake from the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register was highly commended.

David also presented Graham Orchard of the Ford Cortina Mkll Owners Club with the National Car Club Ambassador of the Year award on behalf of Footman James. Wayne Scott from the TR Register was also highly commended in this category.

In the awards categories relating to the clubs' displays at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show, Lancaster Insurance's Dave Young presented the Best Live Working at the Show award to the National Traction Engine Trust for an amazing display.

Danny Hopkins, Editor of Practical Classics Magazine presented the award for Best Restored Car in Show to Michael Kavanagh of the Jowett Car Club for the 1913 Jowett Tiller. The Best Car in Show was presented to Alan Buttle with the Jet 1 Replica, on Rover Sports Register, by Will Smith from sponsor Classic Car Auctions.

Best Club Stand awards went to the Allard Owners Club for under 75sqm and the Jowett Car Club for over 75sqm, sponsored by Classic Car Weekly and Practical Classics respectively.

Lancaster Insurance Operations Director Richard Morley presented the Judges Special Recognition Award to the Sporting Bears for its amazing services to charity, raising over £1.8million for children's charities around the UK.

Full plans for another spectacular Silverstone Classic were unveiled at the event's media day on March 23rd to journalists from around the globe. The home of British motor racing hosted a day long event bringing together journalists, celebrities, show organisers, competitors and car exhibits to announce the full line up for what sounds like the biggest and best Silverstone Classic yet.

All the highly successful elements that attracted more than 100,000 visitors for the past two summers are back on the packed three-day entertainment programme. This year's standout bill features exciting new races, a special world record anniversary parade, more off-track entertainment for all ages than ever before, the largest ever car club attendance, evocative live music concerts with chart-topping songs from the sixties and eighties plus an impressive line-up of racing celebrities.

At the heart of it all and playing a key role in the Silverstone Classic media day was the TR Register who launched the anniversary celebrations for the TR3A and TR5.

When production began in 1957, the TR3A was never officially known as anything more than an update to the TR3. The styling was updated with a 'wide mouth' grille and the luxury of external door handles was added. The best selling of the 'sidescreen' equipped TRs, the TR3A was uprated during production to 100BHP with a larger version of the existing four cylinder engine taking it to 2138cc. More importantly it became the first production sports car to be available with disc brakes as standard - ground breaking for the time.

The TR5, which celebrates it's half centenary was an equally important milestone model in the Triumph range. It was the first of the six cylinder TRs, certainly the quickest but also the first to sport the all new technology of Lucas Petrol Injection. USA emissions regulations mean't that the car never made it across the pond, the USA instead opting for the twin carburettor'd TR250. A stop gap, one season model only the TR5 soon made way for the TR6 which appeared for sale in early 1969 it is now one of the rarest and most desirable TRs combining masculine performance with the curvy feminine styling from Italian Giovanni Michelotti.

"It's an incredibly important year of anniversaries for us with two models that marked a significant milestone and adoption of new technology of the time within the TR range" was the comment to press from the TR Register's Eastern Area Director Dave Burgess.

Whilst the TR Register cars which consisted of two TR5s and two TR3A's one of which was the ex Competitions Department development/support and recce car VHP529 were on display outside, the press conference took place on the top floor of the wing.

TR's under the wing

"We have stellar event lined up for this summer," confirmed Nick Wigley, CEO of event organiser, Goose Live Events. "We are constantly reviewing every aspect of the Silverstone Classic, and feedback has taught us that its three key attributes for fans are the absolute quality, scale and breadth of the racing content, our access all areas policy and the all-inclusive nature of the tickets.

"It's a fantastic event packed full of entertainment, and we will continue to build upon all the positive elements from last year's spectacular. Ticket sales are currently up 17 percent on the same stage in 2016, which is very encouraging, and we are selling far more three-day tickets than ever before. We already have a record number of car clubs registered to attend, too, so all the signs are pointing to the biggest and best Silverstone Classic yet."

Indeed, with the largest number of competition cars and the widest variety of historic racing grids seen anywhere on earth, the Silverstone Classic is the premier event on the international historic racing calendar.

Media conference in full swing

As ever, this summer's unrivalled bill includes all of Europe's leading historic racing championships for Formula One, single-seater, GT, touring and sportscars from motor sport's most celebrated eras – with some 130 iconic cars turning out to test today. The weekend will pack in an impressive 23 races in total – many boasting in excess of 50 entries.

Tiff Needell was another high-profile name in attendance at the Media Preview. The former grand prix driver and current Fifth Gear presenter will be joining the Formula Ford grid this summer, in addition to fronting ITV4's coverage of the event. He will be racing his original Lotus 69F which he has recently purchased back.

Tiff Needell with his original Formula Ford car

"I remember being at Brands Hatch as a 15-year-old spectator for the very first Formula Ford race," he recalled. "I subsequently entered a competition for a Lotus 69F, which I won, and after scraping the rust off my tow car, I transported the little Lotus to races up and down the country.

Media day offers an opportunity for free testing

Needell, Gardner and Spencer will also be part of the new Celebrity Challenge Race. Other famous faces present included Olympic gold medallist Mark Hunter, adventurer Charley Boorman and newly-announced 'Wheeler Dealers' host Ant Anstead, all of whom will get a chance to experience the Austin A35 on Silverstone's legendary GP circuit.

"I'm in it to win it." says Ant Anstead

"I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to have a bit of fun, and everybody will be up for the challenge," enthused Boorman. "It's going to be a fabulous weekend."

Charlie Boorman enjoying a Ferrari

Over 10,000 privately-owned classics will be proudly displayed during the course of the three-day event, with anniversary parades set to include the Jaguar XJ220, Fiat 500, Ferrari OC, Lotus 7, TVR and the TR Register.

The sight of 50 plus Jaguar XJ220's will be quite breathtaking just before the TR Register take to the track late on the Saturday afternoon to commemorate the TR3A and TR5 anniversaries with a special parade lap at the event. This fits neatly with Jaguar Land Rover once again being announced as partners for the event.

David Brabham who raced the XJ220 at Le Mans with David Coulthard shared some of his recollections from the 24 hour campaign that year; "Victory did not come easily. First of all the air jack failed and dropped the car on my foot which swelled up so big my race boot wouldn't fit. The during the race the drivers footwell filled with fuel and it was all capped off with being disqualified in the weeks after the event!"

David Brabham reunited with his Jaguar XJ220

Williams will also be marking the 40th anniversary of its Formula 1 debut in the 1977 Spanish Grand Prix at this year's Classic and to help announce the celebrations, Nigel Mansell's 1992 title-winning car returned to Silverstone for the first time since the British hero won on home soil 25 years ago.

Nigel Mansell's championship winning F1 Williams Renault

Returning family favourites include the JET Village Green complete with the Scarf & Goggles pub, dramatic Street Car Shoot Outs, air shows, a shopping village now with its very own Town Square and live music from the Bootleg Beatles, Tony Hadley and the Dire Straits Experience – all included in the overall ticket price.

Throughout the weekend, the TR Register will be once again hosting members in our allocated display area within the infield supplying a meeting place, shelter form the hot sun and free tea, coffee and biscuits. All attendees present will have an opportunity to take part in the commemorative track parades.

The Silverstone Classic media event concluded with all owners of cars being treated to a couple of laps around Silverstone in some of the star cars of the event followed by a photo shoot out on circuit for use in press releases and articles in the lead up to the greatest historic motorsport in the UK, Silverstone Classic 2017.

A special thanks to Dave Burgess, Dave Gillespie, Dave Soloman and Iain Paul for supplying display cars on the day. To book your tickets to take part in the TR Register display, use the club booking code on the back pages of TR Action Magazine or within the members area of the website.

TRs always capture the press attention!

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Fri, 24 Mar 2017 13:51:00 +0000Meet the Drivers - The TR Register / Revington TR Hillclimb and Sprint ChampionshipWe'd like to inspire you to take the first steps towards competitive motorsport and join us in the Revington TR / TR Register Sprint and Hillclimb Championship

Although some of us believe we could have been THE next Stirling Moss had the cards fallen fairly for us, we are in truth a bunch of pretty average Triumph drivers (which clearly makes us a cut above average anyway) out to have a great time in our cars. And we've found the more of us doing it, the better the banter, the better the competition and the better the fun.

While it is serious motorsport and is truly competitive once the lights go green, it is also one of the most sociable motoring events you are likely to encounter. There is plenty of friendly banter and as much help and advice as you can stand; most newcomers have commented how welcome they have felt and the TR's are well known for how cohesive they are at an event – and we all had to start somewhere.

The class structure provides a slot for any Triumph car with appropriate target times.

So come on, have a quick read through the profiles. You know in your heart you can do better than us, so read through the getting started article on the website, an excellent guide to getting started in the sport, complete the paperwork and join in the fun. You've got the car. You've always wanted to do it. Come on, just do it.

The Drivers

Alan Yeo Vitesse MK1 Convertible Class 2A

Alan returned to competing in 2013 after a 30 year work / life induced layoff. He bought his Vitesse convertible from a friend's mother back in 1972 when he was just 18. The car had a chassis up Rebuild in early 80's after thrashing it for 10 years in various club motorsports. Then almost immediately it went into storage for 30 years. Then in 2013 he stripped and resprayed the car in early 2013 when he completed another full mechanical strip and rebuild to get the care ready for sprinting and hill climbing. Self maintained.

Andy Bradnum GT6 MkIII Class 3A

Andy raced on two wheels during the 1980's. 2017 will be his sixth year with his GT6, a car Andy and his son completely stripped down and rebuilt. In car videos can be found on YouTube – search Andrew Bradnum.

Bob (hooligan) Barnard TR4 Class 2C

2015 was Bob's first year. He came 1st in class and 4th overall. Thinks the steering wheel is just for pointing in the general direction, but quick for a newbie - Nuff said.

Chris Roberts TR8 Class 2B

Chris started in 2015 with a Vitesse 2ltr and TR7. Has now acquired a Del Lines TR8. One to watch in 2017?

Chris Smith TR3A Class 2A

Chris competed in stage rallying from 1990 to 1993 where his best result was a very respectable 21st overall in Rally Brittania. Since then he's done the occasional track day. He's decided to have a final fling in hillclimbs/sprints now he's moved from London to the South West.

He bought his TR3A from a friend's father in Bristol over 30 years ago who he believes had it from new. The car was totally rebuilt by Racetorations in Gainsborough in 1990 with further work by Steve Hall at TR Enterprises in Nottingham . The car has always proved reliable but has only done about 5,500 miles since the rebuild, so needs to be driven more.

Clive Letherby TR6 V8, Class 3B

Not your normal TR6. This one is fitted with a 3.9 litre V8 a five speed box and lots of other tricks to make it go faster. Good job it also has Brembo brakes and that Clive has a dozen years of competition under his belt.

Dan Brown Toledo Class 3A

Dan competed in 2 stroke karts as a teenager and one the Castle Combe Karting Championship in 2008. In 2009/10 he was the world's number 1 simulator driver. 2017 will be his first year in a car championship. He bought his car on 2012 and over the years has completely transformed it from a rather tatty brown Toledo into a magnificent pink race car. Search Dan Brown on YouTube, it's worth it.

Derek Pywell Spitfire Class 2A

New to competition, Derek says he's finally getting around to having a go at some motorsport. He bought his Spitfire in 2016. It had been used a track day car so most of the work needed to be done for competition work was already in place. He has, however, fitted new seats with headrests and four point belts.

Edwin Driver TR2 Class 2 or 3

Edwin comes to the championship after racing in the now defunct TR Race Championship, The Thoroughbred Championship, The Swinging 60s and AMOC Race Series. His car he has owned for 40 years now.

Graham Howard TR6 Class 1D

Graham has been competing in the championship for ten years now and has been both 2nd and 3rd overall. He has owned his car for over 25 years now with much of it still orginal.

Graham Ramsey TR7 Class 1C

Graham started rallying in 1996 in an Opel Ascona and Lancia Fulvia. He co-drove during 1997 BTRDA Rally Championship in an Astra GTE and competed in first sprint with TR7 at a 750 MC sprint at Brooklands in 2000. He has been a regular competitor in our championship since 2001.

His local TR Group helped him locate the car 17 years ago. It had not been used for 14 year when he bought it in March 2000. Since then it has always been used in the Road-going class of the championship and has been modified in accordance with the rules over time. It has a lightened and balanced engine with a fast road cam and sports exhaust. Suspension has also been upgraded. Otherwise it is a standard car built in Speke during 1977 and driven to, and hopefully home from, each event. The car is maintained by Revington TR and a local group of like minded car enthusiasts.

Hamish Roscoe TR3A Class 2A

Hamish is following in the footsteps of his father who raced, hillclimbed, sprinted and trialled in the 1950s. He is younger than the car he bought at auction in July 2016. The previous owner Mr Tony Thompson owned the car for about 45 years fully rebuilding it. He undertook all the engineering modifications himself having competed himself in this competition in the 1970's /80's. He also toured Europe in it. Hamish has had to replace the head gasket and undertaken the works to get the car competition compliant with the addition of oil catch tank, roll bar, seats, harnesses etc and hopes to carry on where he left off with this lovely and fun car.

Ian Prout TR3A Class 2A

Ian has over 30 years forest rallying in a variety of Ladas and Escorts. He first started to compete in hillclimbs, sprints and historic regularity rallies 9 years ago after he rebuilt Kevin's car. Frustrated by Kevin's lack of progress in getting his TR3A back on the road, he offered to sort the car expecting to do a bit of work sorting the messy electrics and the like. It turned out, the car needed a complete rebuild. An agreement was made. Ian would rebuild the car and together Ian and Kev would use it for a bit of motorsport. The car was completed 9 years ago and we've had little success in terms of awards but great fun.

Jeff Hooper TR6 Class 3B

Jeff started competing 15 years soon after he bought his car and won his class twice. He now races in the MGCC Throughbred Series and has come back to our championship for our camaraderie. The car now has a full roll cage and fibreglass panels reducing its weight.

Jim Berry TR6 Class 1D

Jim retired from 505 dinghy racing in 2012 after more than 40 years of international sailing. So being in his eighties he thought he'd take up something safer, drove his TR6 out of his garage (acquired as part of part exchange back in 1975) and first entered the championship a few years ago. It's his car featured on the front cover of TR Action #287.

Jim Giddings TR7 V8 Class 3B ( Big Jim, Big engine)

The Sevenoaks Speed League Champion in 2013, Jim has been competing in or championship since 1993. Jim also likes a bit of international motorsport and is a regular entrant in the Saint Goueno, a round of the French National Hillclimb championship. Inevitably the car has seen a series of upgrades over the years, fully road going but serious bit of kit. Jim likes winning, beating the modern Porkers and Beemers, and helps organise the increasingly popular Motorsport at the Palace event in May.

John Hanna TR4 Class 2A

It's been over 30 years now since John last raced his TR4 in the 1980's. Having sold the car and then bought it back in 2013, it's now time to get out the race suit and have another play. John sprinted a TR4A back in 1977, then took up racing in a TR3 with a 2.5 litre Daimer V8 in 1979, a normal engine TR3 in the early 80s and his current TR4 in the late 80s. Welcome back John.

Jim Johnson TR6 Class 3B

First event was a sprint in 1957 in a Talbot Special. Later Mk1 Sprite with Speedwell engine used in sprints, hill climbs & circuit racing. From 1964 to 69, hill climb championship in single seaters culminating in a Brabham Buick & 6th in the championship. 1977-79 1600cc Brabham for hill climbing.Winner 2015 Harewood Senior and Ilkley & DMC Speed Event Championships and 2016 Ilkley & DMC Champ. Class wins at Harewood, Croft & Bo'ness and second places at Shelsley Walsh.It's not a hobby – it's an incurable disease! I love it.Acquired in Spring 2014. It had been built for the HSCC Championship, road going class but had not been used for 3 years. First outing was Harewood in Aug '13. Since then I have replaced the LS Diff, dampers, diff ratio and added f/g bonnet, boot lid & doors. There is further weight reduction potential but I do not want to weaken the basic structure.

John Weedon TR4 Class 2B

John is a seasoned competitor with 25 or more years competing in various TRs and Mallocks under his belt. He's won the Championship twice and in 2017 returns to the championship in a TR4 he's recently bought from a dealer.

Kev Bryant TR3A Class 2A

Kev first started to compete in hillclimbs, sprints and historic regularity rallies 9 years ago following the rebuild. The TR3A isn't exactly the fastest thing on the track, in fact we're often one of the slowest, but with our narrow road tyres, rear wheel drive and a decent front anti roll bar, if we get it right we can enjoy four wheel drifts round some of the corners.

He bought the car at auction in 1998, ran it for a year and then it spent the next 8 years or so on axle stands in the garage. One year at Le Mans, a friend who had recently retired asked about progress. Unimpressed he offered to collect the car and sort it for me. A couple of weeks after we got back, he collected the car. Another couple of weeks passed and I got a call. "Kevin, you've got a problem. I've sorted the suspension, tidied the electrics but the inner body shell is shot. The car needs a complete rebuild." A bit of research quickly established the parts cost would be stretching, but the labour costs unaffordable. "Don't worry about that" Ian said. "Let me rebuild and we'll use it for a bit of motorsport once she's finished." That was 11 years ago.

Matt Feltham TR4A Class 2B

A new entrant in 2016, Matt's looking to improve his performances and times during 2017. Matt bought the car in 2015 and employed the services of Neil Revington to fettle it. So if Matt doesn't improve in 2017, it's Neil's fault.

Mandy Small TR7 Class 2A

After winning the ladies cup in her 1st year, Mandy is back to try again. Mandy and Steve originally restored the car over 20 years ago, sold it and then after spotting it for sale on eBay bought it back again.

Neil Revington

As well as heading up our sponsors Revington TR, Neil has been competing in Hill climbs and Sprints since the early 70's, initially in the Southern Hillclimb and Sprint Championship which our championship is 'son of'.

For years Neil competed in his trusty TR2 (at one time his only car) but over the years has competed in a TR4 and a TR5. Now the car of choice is SC011OB, a Triumph Beta with a difference; it's a TR4 chassis, TR3 body with wider wings and a mechanically fuel injected TR5 engine up the front. For the moment it's quicker than Neil.

Nick Smith TR6 Class 2B

Nick was our 2015 champion and first started competing five years ago. He says he was nervous joining in to start with as he didn't want to make a fool of himself. He soon realised that wasn't an issue and everyone feels a bit apprehensive at first.

His first car was a standard CP with a strong engine that he'd had refurbished for hillclimbing. He sold that car on when he realised it was better to buy somebody else's car that they had spent a fortune on. The new car was a fully rebuilt, tuned fast road car that has just about every useful upgrade from the Revington catalogue. It has 145bhp at the wheels but had barely been used. Since then he's added a roll cage and re-fettled most of the moving parts including replacing the standard road 3.4 diff with a 4.1. Crashed badly at Gurston in 2016 and at time of writing is nearing completion of the rebuild.

Richard Durrant TR4A Class 1C

Richard is returning to motorsport after a layoff of some … , well let's just say a considerable number of years. He bought his car in 2004 as a civilised replacement for a Westfield.

Robert MacGregor Dolomite Sprint Class 3B

Experienced racer in a very well prepared Dolly Sprint. Search Robert MacGregor on YouTube.

Robert Mead TR4 Class 2B

Robert's care is an American import which he says had been treated with limited respect but had the price tag. Three years ago he dropped a 3A engine in it and is now ready to compete again. He says again because during 1989 and 2009 he competed in the championship but was never really happy with his powder blue 3A. So with a change of steed he's looking forward to happier times and bigger grins. Welcome back Bob.

Rod Warner TR7 V8 Class 3B

Started competing in 1995 and vigorously denies that he has ever polished his car since – hence the stealth black . The engine is best described as a tuned SD1 Vitesse 3500cc unit , the car is no longer road going and the driver is barely that either . The best modifications over the years were new the tyres and new glasses in 2005. For 2017 both will have been refreshed.

One of the organisation team since 1999 responsible for scoring, bogey setting and the technical committee.

Roger McEwen TR6 PI Class 2B

Roger is our sprint and hillclimb coordinator and started competing in the 1960's in a MG Midget. In 1997 he acquired his current car in good roadworthy condition and started the process of upgrading the car. In 2001 the car was treated to a rebuilt engine to rally specification by Revington TR and is now fitted with a Ford type 9 five speed gearbox, a Quaife torque biasing rear differential and uprated suspension all round with telescopic shocks on the rear.

Samantha Browne TR4 Class 2B & Dolomite Sprint Class 3A

Sam started competing in our championship in 2013 in the TR4, and now drives both cars. She has won Best Lady Driver for 3 years. She would welcome new ladies to the group. Sam enjoys competing because it's fun, it's something completely different to the day job, the group of people are always friendly and amusing, and you feel part of a team.

Steve Small TR7 V8 class 3C

Steve is an experienced racer and now runs a totally rebuilt car using the best bits from Hugh Maund's very fast TR7 V8. Not a lot of weight and very fast. But being fastest doesn't always get the maximum points, the faster you go the tougher the handicap gets.

Tom Purves TR3A Class 1B

Tom raced karts as a teenager and bought his concours d'elegance winner in 2012 as a standard road car with sensible modifications for modern road use and light competition work. He started competing in 2015 and has won 1st in class in both 2015 and 2016. He also won three Best Presented Car awards.

Tony Browne TR4 Class 2B & Dolomite Sprint Class 3A

Tony started competing in our championship in 2011 in the TR4 and then bought the Dolly a few years later. Tony is a member of the Technical Committee of the Championship. He has won Best in Class for the last two years. Tony enjoys competing as each year, you can improve on your times and feel a sense of achievement – the group banter is always appreciated too.

Their Triumph Dolomite Sprint is a 1975, ex-South African race car, repatriated to the UK without an engine. It's now a very sound car but can be a bit of a rebel at times.

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Fri, 17 Mar 2017 16:50:00 +0000Restored Record Breaker displays at the Royal Automobile ClubAs of Monday 6th March, within the stunningly grand surroundings of the Rotunda Building at the exclusive Royal Automobile Club in London's Pall Mall stands a Triumph TR2. Not just any Triumph TR2, arguably the most significant Triumph TR in the marques history.

It was an early start, before dawn to get the car in place

The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 by Frederick Richard Simms with the primary purpose of promoting the motor car and its place in society.

The Club promoted the first pre-war British Grand Prix at Brooklands in 1926. After the war, it was staged at Silverstone in 1948. The Club continued to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.

In 1999 the Club demerged the motoring services and established an independent body, the Motor Sports Association (MSA), to govern motor sport in the UK.

Today, the Royal Automobile Club is one of the foremost private members' clubs in the world with a diverse membership, an extensive events programme, and two beautiful and unique clubhouses, alongside first-class accommodation, dining and sports facilities.

Displaying a vehicle in the historic building takes some ingenious organisation!

Glen Hewitt of Protek Engineering who owns the Jabbeke Triumph TR2, famous for breaking the landspeed record for a two lite sportscar delivered the completed vehicle to the Royal Automobile Club's Pall Mall clubhouse at 5am on the morning of Monday 6th March 2017. The car will grace the Rotunda building foyer for a week in surroundings a lot grander than it would have enjoyed on the Belgian Highway where, on May 20th 1953 it wrote it's place in the history books by cracking 124.885mph.

The week long display will culminate in a reception and dinner for guests of the Jabbeke Triumph TR2 which will include many luminaries from the Triumph community coming together to celebrate Glen's work on Friday 10th March 2017.

To celebrate this unique occasion, TR Action Magazine will be bringing you a full pictorial spread in issue 297 with stunning images of the whole display - recorded in history as another key moment for the marque Triumph TR, sixty four years after it's release.

Glen Hewitt has rebuilt the famous Jabbeke Triumph TR2 over the past year.

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Mon, 06 Mar 2017 23:14:56 +0000TR Register receives triple shortlisting for the National Car Club Awards 2017 The finalists in the 2017 National Car Club Awards, in association with Tourism Ireland, have been revealed by Classic Car Weekly and the TR Register is pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for:

Most Outstanding Website

Club of the Year

Furthermore, the TR Register's Press Officer and Editor of TR Action, Wayne Scott has been shortlisted by the organisers for Club Ambassador of the Year.

The organisers say that this year they have seen the most nominations to date. Supported by Classic Car Weekly, and endorsed by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, the overall Award winners will be announced at the awards dinner on Saturday 1st April 2017 at Birmingham's NEC.

The news comes after the TR Register scooped the prize for "Most Outstanding Magazine of the Year" at the inaugral event last year.

Lee Masters, Director of The National Car Club Awards, said: "We had 209 nominations, which is 25 more than the inaugural year and it's fantastic to see the clubs embrace these awards. Once again, the standard of entries was extremely high with a fantastic mix of clubs of all sizes.

"Some of the categories had over 30 entries and reducing these down to a shortlist was extremely difficult, making that place on the shortlist even more valuable and an incredible achievement."

A total of 16 awards will be presented at the glittering ceremony, hosted by Mike Brewer alongside the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show. The shortlist covers eight of the award categories with the finalists for the Lifetime Achievement award still to be decided. The other six awards will be decided by the judges on Saturday and presented their prize at the awards dinner.